Many of us cannot imagine Mexico without the USMCA. While no longer a traditional free trade agreement, it remains one of the most important economic engines for Mexico and a cornerstone of North American integration.
However, the future of North American competitiveness will not be determined by trade alone. It will depend on the region’s ability to execute a common vision across infrastructure, connectivity, industrial capacity, workforce development, and security.
This was precisely the focus of the panel I had the privilege to moderate during North American Week at American Chamber of Commerce Mexico.
One of the key takeaways from our discussion was that competitiveness is no longer measured solely by trade flows or capital investment. As supply chains become more demanding and geopolitical risks intensify, the ability of the United States, Mexico, and Canada to operate as an integrated platform will become a defining advantage.
The conversation is no longer limited to roads, railways, ports, and energy infrastructure. It now includes talent availability, workforce readiness, regulatory execution, logistics efficiency, operational certainty, and the capacity to scale industrial production without creating bottlenecks.
At the same time, strategic infrastructure and critical assets have become increasingly linked to economic resilience, national security, and long-term regional positioning. Meanwhile, China’s growing presence across Latin America continues to reshape the competitive landscape and reinforce the importance of a coordinated North American strategy.
I would like to extend my special gratitude to my panelists; Joseph Hugdahl (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), Mark Neighbors (U.S. Embassy in Mexico), Joaquin Spamer Martinez del Campo, (CIL Capital Development Solutions) and Oscar Del Cueto Cuevas, president CPKC de Mexico and AmCham president.
Thank you as well to Oscar Alejandro Doria Lopez, president of Bulkmatic de México President and president of AmCham Noreste, and Grace Lingow, executive director of AmCham Noreste.
The opportunity for North America is enormous, but so is the challenge.
Therefore the question is no longer whether North America can remain competitive; the question is whether the region can coordinate and execute fast enough to maintain that advantage.
This was a great event; let the photos tell the story.
Editor's Note: The above commentary was penned by Francisco Peña-Valdés, a partner in Cacheaux Cavazos & Newton. The commentary first appeared on the social media pages of the author, a bilingual and bicultural international law firm, comprised of attorneys who are licensed to practice law in the United States and Mexico. The commentary first appeared on the social media pages of the author.
